Types of Pastels

There are many types of pastels available in different shapes and size. Chalk pastels and Oil pastels are based on type of amount of binding agent mixed with colour pigments.

Oil Pastels

Oil pastels have buttery soft consistency with vibrant colours, made of pigments and oil based binder. Oil pastels won’t crumble, smudge or create dust unlike soft pastels. They are more stable, intense in colour and do not require fixative.

It is very versatile medium and can be used to create different types of textures like impasto. They can be great to draw with for large-scale expansive work.

They are oil and wax based and water repellent hence can’t be combined with other pastel mediums.

Hard Pastels

Hard pastels are a bit harder and therefore you can achieve a line with them. Because of hardness they don’t break or crumble easily.

The lines created by hard pastels are crisp and prominent hence used for outline and detailing of the pastel drawing.

Soft Pastels

Soft pastels are beautiful, velvety texture and are easy to blend with your fingers or cloth. They allow to work on layers and mix colours on the surface.

Soft pastels are considered as a traditional medium for creating art. Soft pastel drawings need to be fixed with a fixative and glass framed to prevent smudging.

Extra - Soft Pastels

Extra - soft pastels are very soft, crumbly and smudge extremely well. It has chalky consistency that produces intense colour.

They can be challenging to use because they are so powdery that they can be hard to control.

Pan Pastels

They are available in flat compact pans similar to make up kits made of very less quantity of binder and more of pigments. These pastels have such less quantity of binder that they can’t be molded into sticks, hence set into pans.

To apply pan pastels, you will need a brush, sponge and other tools.

Pastel Pencils

Pastel pencils are thin pastel stick encased in wooden pencil that has consistency in between soft and hard pastels. They are versatile and can be used in combination with other chalk pastels.

They are not messy like soft pastels and one can easily sharpen them to create sharp point for precise detail work.

Extra - soft pastels, soft pastels, pan pastels, hard pastels and pastel pencils are made from colour pigments and binding agents that are mainly available in dry stick or powdered forms.

The world of colours can be daunting, but with the right information you can pick the best type suitable to your needs.